What if I told you that a lot of the olive oil found on store shelves is mislabeled… and that the scope of food fraud in the olive oil industry is actually quite widespread? Would you believe me if I said that much of the olive oil industry, exactly like the drug trade, is controlled by the mafia? It sounds like some kind of strange movie plot, doesn’t it? But it’s real life, and it’s at a grocer near you. Maybe even right in your own kitchen. (13)
Olive oil is in good company… avocado oil is not immune to fraudulent supply chains either. In fact, a lot of foods are not what they seem to be at all. This is unfortunate, given that labels are all we have to go on when assessing the nutritional content of the foods we buy. Not to mention the food’s origin or the ingredients contained in the package. If what we’re reading on the label is lies, where do we go from there?
What is Food Fraud?
According to Food Safety Net Services (FSNS), “Food fraud is the act of purposely altering, misrepresenting, mislabeling, substituting or tampering with any food product at any point along the farm–to–table food supply–chain. Fraud can occur in the raw material, in an ingredient, in the final product or in the food’s packaging.” (1)
Food fraud has been a part of our world for a very long time. In the 13th century, England made laws against diluting wine with water, adding ash to pepper, and cutting flour with chalk. As far back as 1784, food fraud and food adulteration have been hot topics of discussion in the US too. (1)
Food Fraud In The Oil Industry
Why is food fraud such a “thing”? Because in some ways it’s surprisingly easy to get away with. Bottled oils, for example, are not regulated in the US. In addition, the effects on the human body (if any at all) tend to be minimal. And even when they aren’t minimal, the effects still can be hard to correlate with something that’s being consumed on a regular basis. (11)
Where fraud in the rest of the food industry may be pretty easy to get away with, fraud in the oil industry seems to be like taking candy from a baby. Perhaps you’ve heard of the Salad Oil Swindle of 1963, where Bronx native Anthony “Tino” De Angelis swindled $180 million from investors. He did it by filling his “soybean oil” tanks with water, adding an eensy bit of soybean oil on top for sheen. It looked like soybean oil, but it was not at all, and De Angelis’ investors were rightly miffed. The authorities were involved, and the rest is history. (2) But somehow, in spite of this, there is still no regulation on this kind of food product.
Fake Avocado Oil… For Real?
The old “little bit of oil, whole lot of water” trick isn’t just for soybean oil. This is but one of the ways that the avocado oil you buy may not quite be up to snuff. According to a 2020 report from UC Davis, most avocado oils sold in the US are of poor quality, mislabeled, or combined with other lesser-quality oils. This was the first study in the US regarding avocado oil quality and purity, and what it revealed was alarming. (3)
Could it have something to do with Mexico’s multibillion-dollar avocado industry? Though it doesn’t seem like the cartels’ usual MO, in recent years avocados have become a prime target for them. The drug cartels have been seizing farmland and even clearcutting protected land to plant their avocado crops, also known as “green gold”.
After taking control of an avocado orchard, criminal groups subsequently announce a tax on residents who own avocado trees, charging up to $250 a hectare in “protection fees.” It’s easy to see how this practice can lead to a whole lot of adulterated product, with the end-user paying a premium price for low quality and even fake merchandise. (4)
Really Fake Olive Oil, Too
Just like avocado oil, olive oil has a gangster connection as well. As Forbes reported in 2016, 80% of olive oil on store shelves is fraudulent. “Agro mafia” as it’s known, is now controlling most of the olive oil production and marketing, and in spite of Italy’s attempts to get a handle on it, they haven’t. It permeates all markets throughout the world, and the US is a huge one, thanks to that lack of regulation. (11,12,13)
According to Food Safety Net Services, in 2013 the top ten most adulterated foods in the United States were:
- Olive oil
- Milk
- Honey
- Saffron
- Orange juice
- Coffee
- Apple juice
- Grape wine
- Tie: Vanilla extract and maple syrup
Number one… what a sad and dubious distinction for olive oil. (1)
Unfortunately, the food safety threat with respect to adulterated olive oil can be a huge one, possibly even life-threatening. Many people cook with olive oil, so those with peanut allergies need to be on high alert. Oftentimes when olive oil is diluted, it is done with peanut oil. Depending on the severity of the allergy, by the time the adulteration is detected, it could be way too late.
How Can Food Fraud Like This Happen?
As mentioned, astonishingly, in the US there are no federal regulations on bottled oils. So, as you might imagine, that leaves some pretty big loopholes. And who is exceedingly good at taking advantage of loopholes? Those who aren’t exactly known for keeping their business affairs on the up and up, of course.
Though there is no federal regulation on bottled oils, certain US states are doing their part to adopt these important food labeling laws for themselves. SB-634 is California’s way of ensuring that the olive oil that’s found in grocery stores there is authentic. (6)
Should You Use Olive Or Avocado Oil?
Clearly, there are moral questions surrounding this topic, and they are worth pondering. The choices we make about where we spend our money, and what we choose to put into our bodies, ultimately do shape the kind of people we are.
But there isn’t just a moral side to what we consume; it’s worth repeating that the food safety danger is very real for some people. If you or someone you love has a peanut allergy, it may be wise to simply avoid these oils altogether.
If you’re trying to eat as healthfully as possible, avoiding oil in your diet is a clear step in the right direction.
But the flip side of that is that both olive and avocado oils add to the “healthy eating conversation”. Both (in their pure forms) have low levels of saturated fat compared to other bottled vegetable oils.
The trick is to find it in its purest form and then not to faint from the sticker shock.
That’s another reason you may want to reconsider olive and avocado oil… the price you pay for the good stuff, is not the price you are used to paying for the stuff you’ve been getting from the mob.
One alternative may be to eat the whole fruit. Olives are loaded with monounsaturated fatty acids, linked with lowering LDL (“bad” cholesterol). They are great for your heart. And though it is super creamy and rich, avocado is actually quite high in fiber with approximately 6-7 grams per half fruit. This makes it great for aiding digestion and detoxification too. (7,8)
Choosing an Authentic Avocado Oil
If you want to buy quality and authentic avocado oil, here are some tips to keep in mind courtesy of researchers at UC Davis:
Flavor: The flavor of virgin avocado oil can differ by varieties and region. In general, authentic, fresh, virgin avocado oil tastes grassy, buttery, and a little bit like mushrooms.
Color: Virgin avocado oil should be green in color, whereas refined avocado oil is light yellow and almost clear due to pigments removed during refining.
Size: Even good oil becomes rancid with time. It’s important to purchase a reasonable size that can be finished before the oil oxidizes. Store the oil away from light and heat. A cool, dark cabinet is a good choice, rather than next to the stove.
Smell: How do you know if the oil is rancid? It starts to smell stale, sort of like play-dough.
Dates: When possible, choose an oil that’s closest to the harvest/production time to ensure maximum freshness. The “best before date” is not always a reliable indicator of quality. (9)
Choosing an Authentic Olive Oil
With all this talk of food fraud in olive oil, a kitchen staple, you may be questioning your ability to discern good from bad. But we’ve got you covered with this simple list that will keep you on the right track.
- Turn the bottle over to see where it’s from: It’s good to favor domestic, and not for political reasons. Often, just to get the “packed in Italy” label, the products travel a great distance. California furnishes 97 percent of the olive oil produced in the US, and there’s a good reason for that. They do good work out there.
- Look for the harvest date: Newer is better. Olive oil goes rancid quickly, within 2 years. And that’s only if it is kept in optimal conditions. If there is no harvest date, find yourself another bottle.
- Look for seals of approval: Food fraud, particularly where olive oil is concerned, is becoming a much more mainstream topic. In an effort to counter this, much like the state-specific regulations being passed, new methods of “authentication” are popping up. For example in California, many olive oils are sent to the California Olive Oil Council’s panel of trained tasters. If their oil passes, producers are given permission to use the COOC seal on their label. (10)
Real Olive Oil Brands To Try
Real Food For Life has done a good bit of the heavy lifting for us in terms of researching authentic extra virgin olive oil brands that we can trust. Here is the list they came out within March of 2020:
- Kasandrinos Olive Oil
- Bariani Olive Oil
- Kirkland Organic
- Corto EVOO
- Cobram Estate
- California Olive Ranch
- McEvoy Ranch Organic
- Olea Estates
- Ottavio
- Chacewater California Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Ellora Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Partanna Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Lodi Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Casina Rossa Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Papa Vince Olive Oil Extra Virgin
- Knolive Epicure
- Tuscan Gold Eleganza
- Anatomico Organic Coratina EVOO
- Selección Familiar
- Oro Bailen Family Reserve
- TERRA Delyssa
- Venta del Baron Award Winning Cold Pressed EVOO
If you don’t see your favorite brand listed here, don’t lose heart. Check out the brand’s website, or contact them directly to ask if their olive oils are inspected by a 3rd-party for purity. (10)
Olive Oil Brands to Avoid
Here is the list that Real Food For Life suggests taking a pass on:
- Carapelli
- Mezzetta
- Pompeian
- Mazola
- Primadonna
- Colavita
- Sasso
- Antica
- Badia
- Star
- Whole Foods
- Filippo Berio
- Safeway
- Coricelli
- Bertolli
DAGs and PPPs are two benchmark standards used by the International Olive Oil Council and the USDA to determine the quality vegetable oils. The samples provided by the above brands had a reduced level of DAGs — 1,2-diacylglycerol and 1,3-diacylglycerol, breakdown products of triacylglycerols. This means they were already oxidized, of poor quality, and/or degraded with cheaper refined oils. Many of the samples also showed elevated levels of PPPs, breakdown products of chlorophyll, also indicating they were oxidized and/or combined with cheaper refined oils. (10)
Avoiding Food Fraud In Vegetable Oil
The most obvious way to avoid food fraud is simply not to partake, but that’s not always the clear answer for us as individuals and families.
As the saying goes, knowledge is power. The more you know the better you can do in life, and that’s certainly true in cases like this. It’s easy to rest on our laurels, especially in the US where we have (what we believe is) protection from the USDA, FDA and other regulatory agencies, but that just isn’t always the case.
The responsibility is on each of us to do the research for ourselves, like you’re doing now, to be better informed in the choices we make as we push our cart down aisle 3.
Editor’s Note:
As mentioned, the best way to avoid food fraud where bottled oils are concerned is simply to abstain from their use. But that’s not the right answer for everyone. In fact, olive and avocado oils each offer benefits worth considering, and as far as cooking oils go, either one is a great choice. If you want to make a responsible purchase, third party certified and free of adulteration, options are available. Often a bit of digging is required, but you’re in luck! Kasandrinos Olive Oil is 100% organic, single-origin, and verified non-GMO. It comes straight from the Kandrinos family in Greece, shipped to your doorstep with care.
